Hinge



w. M. HANSON May 7, 1935.

HINGE Filed Oct. 25,

1933 2 Sheets-Sheet, l

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gw s dbbomm b Patented May 7, 1935 UNIT-Ensures P E T Walter M." Hanson, "Grand'Rapids, Michz, as v signer to American Seating Company,Grand Rapids, Michq'a corporation of New Jersey- Application October 23,1933 Serial No. -694,748 Q f I i} i "rolaims. (ar se-8 The presentinvention relates to hinges and more particularlytoan improved seathinge of the general character illustrated and described in UnitedStates Letters Patent No.

1,810,888, issued June 16, 1931, to my 'assignee on application filedbyme November 3, 1930, Serial No. 492,940. v V

The main objects of the invention are to provide a seat hinge for use inconjunction with seats such as opera chairs and the like; to provide aseat hinge which is adjustable with respect to arcuate seating; toprovide a seat hinge of the character above indicated which is capableof ready and convenient assembly; and, to provide a seat hingeassemblymany parts bf which are of stamped sheet metal with itsconsequent economical cost of manufacture.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanyingdrawings, where- Figure 1" is a vertical sectional view of a'chair ofthe opera type such as is used in conjunction with public seatinggaportion of the seat being 'broken' away and showing' the' seat hingeasser'nblf l" 4 1 V Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the seathinge-assembly per se, partly in section and partly broken away; t'T'Figure 3is a perspective view of one of a pair of cupped plates whichwith its companion cupped. plate: shown in .Figure 5 are adapted torotatably embrace the truncated spherical element shown in Figure 4; r V

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the truncated spherical element per sereferred to in connectionwith the description of the member illustratedin Figure 3; I

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the compan ion cupped plateillustrated in Figure 3;

40 Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the seat hingeassembly on line 65 of Figure '7;

Figure '7 is a sectional view thereof on line 1--1 of Figure 6; and 45Figure 8 is a sectional view on line 88 of Figure 6.

Referring to the drawings in which like parts of the structure aredesignated by the same numerals in the several views, the constructionherein illustrated comprises the supporting member I or seat standardwith its supporting legs 2, arm rest 3 and upholstered back 4.

This supporting standard, preferably of cast metal, is here shown asprovided with a pair of cups disposed on its opposite sides and de- Apair of spherical elements l flwhose opposite vfined by thelaterallyiprojecting. ofloval shape as, best shown in Figure, 6. Theseoppositely disposed cupstogether fwith the aperw tured plates 6, eachsecured adjacent thefrim of its respective cup as by the-screws l form ahousingv for the seat' hinge assembly. Within each cup-on the oppositesides of the supporting standard and substantially centrally: thereof isV a laterally projecting boss- 8 provided with a horizontally disposedaperture ;9. f

sides are parallelly truncated, are eac h provided with a rivetreceiving aperture J l disposed transtion l3 as best shown in Figures 3and 5, rotatably embrace each sphericaljelement on its opposite sidesandare secured together adjacent O their flat surfaces as by spot welding.-.;The

cupped. portion of these plates are provided with a rivet receivingaperture l4 permitting the rivet l5 to pass therethrough for securingthe spherical elements on opposite sidesof the :support- 1 ingstandardwith one plane surface of; -,ea ch spherical element injuxtaposition with the plane surface of the bosses 8 as best shown. inFigure 7.

spacedrlugs l1 projecting fromzone end thereof and through the flatsurfaces of the cupped plates l2, the ends thereof being flattened tosecure the shaft axially therewith about the cupped portion thereof. 7shaft is provided with a pair of registering slotted openings l8 and astamped seat support- 7 ing bracket [9 for supporting the seat isproided with a laterally projecting U-shaped stamped arm 2| embracingthe shaft [6 and laterally adjustably secured thereto by the bolt 22passing therethrough and through the slotted openings l8 as bestillustrated in Figure '7. Pairs of oppositely disposed spaced stops 23,24 of rubber or the like are secured within the seat hinge housing asbest seen in Figure 6 for alternately engaging the flanged sides 25 ofthe plates 12 during the rotating movementof the plates upon theirrespective spherical elements l9, as indicated by the arrows in Figure6. The weight of the person occupying the seat is thus supported by thestops 23, 24 rather than by the rivet l5. I

Because of the rotatable connection between the flat plates l2 and.their respective spherical The outer end of the I elements ID as hereinbefore described, a limited universal joint movement is permittedbetween them and the seat hinge is thus adaptable for arcuate seating.It will thus be seen that the seat hinge is capable of ready andconvenient assembly and that many parts of the seat hinge assembly areof stamped sheet metal making for economy in manufacture. r

While but one specific embodiment of this invention has been hereinshown and described,

it will be understood that numerous details of faces of thesphericalelement, a pair of flat plates each; having a cupped portionprovided with an aperture therein for permitting the pas- 1 sage of arivet and rotatably embracing the spherical element onits opposite sidesand whose fiat surfaces are secured to each other, and a rivet passingthrough said apertures and'extending entirely through the sphericalelement and engaging the side face thereof remote from the supportingmember for securing the spherical element to the supporting member withone of the plane surfaces of the spherical element in juxtaposition tothe plane surface of the supporting element to thereby form asemi-universal joint between the spherical element and said plates.

2. In astructure of the class described, a middle seat supportingstandard, identical elements secured to opposite sides of the standardand having spherical surfaces, a pair of members for each of saidspherical elements, each member of said pair having a cupped portionrotatably embracing the spherical surface of its respective element andthe member of said pair secured to each other in their respectiveassembled relations with their spherical element, hollow shaftsextending from each pair of said members and connected therewith, pivotscarriedby said hollow shafts and disposed perpendicular to the axis ofrotation of said members in spaced relation thereto, and seat bracketsconnected to the I said pivots.

3. In a structure of the class described, a supporting member providedwith laterally projecting walls of approximately oval formation andhaving a rivet receiving aperture within the space enclosed bythe saidwalls, a plate secured to the walls and co-operating therewith to form ahousing and having a central opening, a solid truncated sphericalelement having flat side faces and provided with a rivet receivingaperture disposed transversely with respect to the ,said side faces,said spherical element being located within the said housing with one ofits side faces fitted against the supporting member, a rivet passingthrough the said apertures and extending entirely through the sphericalelement for securing the same to the supporting member and engagingthe'side face of the spherical element remote from the supportingmember, a pairof fiat plates located within the said housing and eachhaving a cup-shaped portion rotatably embracing the spherical element onopposite sidesfthereof, an axially disposed shaft connected with thesaid plates and extending through the opening of the housing, a pivotarranged exteriorly of the said housing and mounted on and carried bythe said shaft and disposed perpendicular to the axis of the said pairof plates, and a seat supporting bracket connected with the said pivot.

4. In a structure of the class described, a supporting member, anelement secured to the supporting member and having a spherical surface,a pair of cupped members rotatably embracing said element and providedat their ends with extensions fitted flat against each other and havinglaterally extending flanges forming abutment surfaces, a hollow shaftprovided with lugs piercing the extensions of the said members andsecuring the latter together, spaced steps of cushioning materialarranged'in pairs and located in the path of the said extensions andarranged to be engaged by the flanges thereof for limiting the rotativemovement of the cupped members and for cushioning such movement, andmeans for connecting a chair seat with the said chair.

WALTER M. HANSON.

